Thomas kennedy



(No Model.)

T. KENNEDY.

PLATFORM RAILWAY.

Patented Feb. 13, 1894'.

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structed that in addition to a moving plat- UNITED STATES PATENT Queues.

THOMAS KENNEDY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PLATFORM RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,756, dated February13, 1894. Application filedJ'anuary 25,1893. serial No. 459,694. (Nomodel.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS KENNEDY, of New York city, in the county andState of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inPlatform Railways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to platform railways, and has for its object toconstruct a railway upon a spring-controlled vibratory platform, and toso manipulate the platform that any number of cars or trains of cars,carriages or other vehicles may be made to constantly travel around theplatform during the period the latter is being manipulated, in such amanner as to afiord the occupants of the cars or carriages thebenefitsof a ride in a circular direction on a smooth track, and at the sametime enabling them to experience sensations due to a smooth and regularundulating or rocking motion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for the amusementof the publie, of that order of machines known as merrygo-rounds orcarousels, which may be patronized with perfect safety and through themeans of which the patrons will be given the benefits of movements notheretofore combined in any device of the same character.

Itis a further object of the invention to provide a platform railwaywhich may be utilized for the purpose of display, or may be employed asa toy, the device being so conform and rolling objects thereon, meanswill be provided for the display of various articles, the display framebeing given a rotary motion; and any figure or group of figures maylikewise be provided to adorn the display frame, and remain stationaryor revolve with the frame, as may be founddesirable.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in boththe views. 7

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved platform railway; and Fig. 2 isa vertical section taken practically through the center of the device.

In carrying out the invention a base A, is provided, constructed of anysuitable or approved material and given any desired contour. Preferably,however, the upper face of the base is flat and the margin is circular.The base may be constructed in one piece or in many sections; in thedrawings two sections are employed, an'upper and alower section, whichmay be secured together by any suitable fastening devices.

Upon the center of the base a standard 10, is erected, preferablycircular in cross section, and this standard ordinarily stands upon apedestal 11, the pedestal being secured directly to the base. Thepedestal 11 has secured upon its upper. face around the standard 10, abearing block 12, the upper surface of which block iscylindrical orconvexed, while its lower surface is flat; but if in prac tice it isfound desirable the bearing block 12' may constitute an integral portionof the pedestal. The standard 10, is adapted to constitute a pivot orguide fora platform B, which platform may be made solid or in skeletonform, but ordinarily, as shown in the drawings the platform is made toapproximate a wheel in shape, in which event the central portion 13, issolid, and a series of arms 14, is made to radiate from the solidcentral portion, which arms, at their outer ends, support a ring section15,.which ring section is inclined upon its upper face, the inclinationbeing in direction of the center of the platform, the outer edge ofthering section being therefore thicker than its inner edge, as shown inFig. 2. The arms 14, may be attached to the ring section 15, or the twoparts maybe made integral.

The central portion of the platform B, may be reinforced in any approvedmanner; one means of strengthening this portion of the platform isillustrated in the drawings, in which a-circular block or plate 16, isattached to the upper face of the circular solid portion of theplatform, while the under face of the platform is strengthened by aplate or block 17, which plate or block may be circular, but

preferably is somewhat of spider shape, its

several arms, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, being secured to theunder faces of the ICO main arms 14 of the platform. The standard 10,passes loosely through an opening 18, made vertically in the centralportion of the platform, the opening extending also through itsreinforcing plates or blocks; and as the platform is to have a rockingmovement upon its pivot the upper end of the opening 18, may be somewhatflaring. The platform is supported directly at its center by means of abearing block 19, through which the standard 10 passes, and the saidbearing block 19, is constructed with a cylindrical or convexednnderface, which convexed surface is brought in contact with thecorresponding surface of the pedestal bearing block 12. It is evidentthat when the platform B, is thus supported it may be rocked veryreadily upon its bearings. In the general construction of the platformB, it is made as light as possible consistent with strength.

The platform is adapted to carry any desired number of endless tracks,the tracks being circular, as shown in Fig. 1. In the drawings threetracks are illustrated, an outer track 20, which is laid upon the upperface of the outer or ring section 15, while the inner tracks 21 and 22,are laid upon and -secured to the arms 14 of the platform; inter-'mediate of the arms the inner tracks may be braced or supported in anysuitable or approved manner. In addition to the support afforded theplatform by its central bearing, a spring support is provided; and tothat end a number of rods or posts 23 is secured upon the base, theirarrangement being a circular one, and these rods or posts extend upwardthrough openings 24 made in the platform to receive them. Each post orred 23, is encircled bya spring 25, and these springs have bearings attheir lower ends upon the base, and at their upper ends against theunder face of the platform, the springs being preferably secured attheir ends to the surfaces against which they bear. The springs 25, areof different lengths, the longest springs being arranged at one side andthe shorter springs at the diametrically opposite side. Thus it will beobserved a spring cushion is formed of varying height, and the platformis consequently held in an inclined position.

Oars O,oarriages, or other form of vehicles, are adapted to travel uponthe tracks; and the vehicles may be coupled together to form trains ofany desired length, or said vehicles may be made to travel singly uponthe tracks, or in pairs.

In the operation of the device, as the platform B, stands at aninclination, held so by the springs, the tendency of all the cars is toseek the lowest side, and they naturally gravifate in that direction;therefore, by alternately depressing the high side of the platform, andpermitting it to rise to its normal level, the cars are compelled duringthe entire period of manipulation of the platform to constantly travelin one direction around the track, continually seeking the lowest point,which is being regularly and constantly shifted.

The manipulation of the platform may be accomplished in many ways, as,for example, through the medium of a crank disk 27 and a pitman 28driven by a motor 29, as shown in the drawings; or the depressing of theplatform may be accomplished by exerting downward pressure upon a rope,chain or cable attached at the highest point of the platform, as thesprings act to return the platform to its normal position the moment thenormally high point of the platform is free to rise after having beendepressed, but if desired all attachments to the platform impartingmotion to it may be dispensed with, and motion may be produced by hand.

When the device is employed as a toy, or for display purposes, a displayrack may be used in connection with it, which rack may consist of acentral portion 80, pivotallyattached to the standard 10, and arms 31,radiating from the body. The arms may be of the same length,ormaybegraduated in length as illustrated; the .latter construction ispreferred when more than one track is carried by the platform, and inthat event onearm is connected with a car or a train of cars upon eachtrack, as it is preferred that the cars should communicate motion to thedisplay frame. A figure or a group of figures may be secured upon thecentral portion of the display frame and turn with it, and the arms maybe utilized for the display of any article or articles they are capableof receiving and sustaining.

The outer rail of each track is preferably slightly elevated, so as togive the cars aslight inclination inward, in order to insure theirremaining upon the track even when they are moving rapidly; and in thedisplay form of the device the inner tracks may be straight, as the armsof the display frame'being connected with the cars will serve to preventthem leaving the track.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecureby'Letters Patent- 1. In a device of the character described, thecombination with a base provided witha standard and rods projectingtherefrom, of a rocking platform mounted on the standard and providedwith apertures to receive the rods, tracks on the platform and springssurrounding the rods between the platform and base, substantially assetforth.

2. I11 a device of the character described, the combination with a baseprovided with a standard and rods projecting therefrom, of a platformmounted to rock on the standard and provided with apertures to receivethe rods, springs surrounding the rods between the base and platform,tracks on the platform, and means for rocking the said platform,substantially as described.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with arocking platform and frame above the platform and connected'with thevehicles, substantially as described.

4:. In a device of the character described, the combination with a baseprovided with a standard, a rocking platform apertured to receive thestandard of the base, and provided with concentric tracks and vehiclesmounted on the platform and deriving motion therefrom, of a body pivotedto the upper end of the standard and provided with arms of unequallength and connected with the vehicles, substantially as described.

5. In a platform railway, the combination, with a platform and a basehaving rocking connection with the platform, of springs of varyinglengths located around the rocking connection between the base andplatform,

the springs being connected with the said 20 base and platform, endlesstracks located upon the platform, vehicles located upon the tracks, astandard. passed loosely through the platform, a display frame pivotedupon the standard, a connection between the display frame and thevehicles, and a depressing mechanism connected with the normally highportion of the platform, substantially as shown and described, wherebywhen the platform is alternately depressed and elevated the cars aregivena circular movement thereon and impart such movement to the displayframe, as and for the purpose specified.

THOMAS KENNEDY.

Witnesses:

O. SEDGWICK, EDGAR TATE.

